The present invention relates to field devices of the type used to monitor or control industrial processes. More specifically, the present invention relates to internal data communications in such field devices.
Industrial processes are used to perform various functions in a process or create goods from other components. Such processes include, for example, oil refineries, manufacturing plants, food processing plants, chemical plants and pharmaceutical plants. In such systems, field devices are used to monitor or control operation of the process. One such device is a process transmitter which is configured to sense a process variable and communicate to a centralized location based upon the sensed process variable. Example process variables include flow, pressure, temperature, level, etc. A process controller is an example of another field device in which a control signal received from the centralized location and the process controller responsively controls a process variable. The communication with the centralization location may be over a wired or a wireless process control loop.
Process devices frequently operate under power restrictions. Further, such devices typically have multiple components and use communication systems to communicate between these components. In some instances, such as when operating using limited power, one communication system can cause interference with data transmitted on another communication system. This “noise” can introduce errors in the device and even cause a failure of the device.